Guest blog post by Francisco Sánchez, Under Secretary for International Trade, International Trade Administration

“A journey of a
thousand miles begins with one single step.”

That’s a proverb
I learned during my recent trip to China, where I led a delegation of 19 U.S.
biotech companies on a trade mission. Today marked the end of our journey.
But, I’m confident that the steps we took will help these firms generate new
opportunities in the region.

As I get ready
to depart, I’m struck by the huge possibilities in the country. China’s biotech
sector is growing roughly 25 percent a year. Its market is huge in terms of sales and clinical trial
opportunities, as well as potential investment. And, China’s enormous consumer
base and impressive economic growth further reinforce the importance of the
market for U.S. firms.

Guest blog post by Francisco Sánchez, Under Secretary for International Trade, International Trade Administration

Today I had
the honor of inaugurating the U.S. Pavilion at the Offshore Technologies
Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pavilion is giving more than 80 U.S.
firms the opportunity to exhibit their products and services to potential
buyers in Brazil and elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. The pavilion also supports a Department of
Commerce–certified trade mission that was organized by the state of Louisiana
along with that state’s Committee of 100 for Economic Development.

Why Brazil?
There are a lot of reasons for U.S. companies to look for business here,
especially in the energy sector. Economically, Brazil is on the rise. It is the
world’s seventh largest economy and in 2010 posted a real GDP growth rate of 7.5
percent. This strong growth is sure to continue in the long-term. One factor in
that growth will be Brazil’s oil and gas sector, buoyed by the recent discovery
of offshore oil reserves in the Santos Basin. The discovery of these reserves
is good news for the United States—both for the potential market it represents for
U.S. sellers of energy products, technologies, and services as well as for the likelihood
that that it will make Brazil a stable and secure source of energy for the
United States in the future.

Ed. Note: This post is part of the Spotlight on Commerce
series, which highlights members of the Department of Commerce who are
contributing to the president's vision of winning the future through their
work.

Every day, I have the privilege of serving the American
people as the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade. It is
a tremendous honor to be able to give back to a country that has given so much
to me.

My story is the American story. My grandparents and father were immigrants from
Spain; they believed in the American Dream, and worked hard to achieve it.

We lived in Tampa, Florida.
Growing up, I learned a lot of lessons that serve me well today. Through my father, who used to run a candy
factory in Spain, I was able to learn how important small- and medium-sized
businesses are to a community’s development. My mother worked as the
Director of one of the first Head Start programs in the country. She
wanted all children to get the best possible start in life and dedicated her
time to helping others. That’s why she is my hero.

That’s what we’ve done for
generations. And today, the private sector members of the Manufacturing
Council had the opportunity to meet with Acting Secretary Blank, Under
Secretary Sánchez, Assistant Secretary Lamb-Hale and others from the federal
government to continue the discussion on how to enhance our global
competitiveness and make the important investments necessary to ensure American
manufacturers and communities across the country can continue to innovate here,
manufacture here and have the skilled workforce they need to do it.

And, we’re making
progress. Today, Secretary Blank discussed the American Jobs Act with the Council, highlighting, in particular, the
pieces on infrastructure investment, the extension of 100% business expensing
and payroll tax holidays that the Council has addressed.

“It’s Brazil’s Time!” I still can hear the clarion call of Rick
Fedrizzi, President of the U.S. Green Building Council, from his opening speech
during the Green Building Conference Brasil in São Paulo last week. I was in Brazil to foster expanded commercial
ties between Brazilian and American firms in the green building and energy
sectors and advance the objectives of the U.S.-Brazil Strategic Energy
Dialogue. For a portion of the trip, I accompanied 14
companies participating in the Department of Commerce-certified, Brazil-U.S.
Business Council-organized
Trade Mission. These are innovative and forward-thinking small and medium
companies interested and ready to export green building products to Brazil.

Fedrizzi also
pointed out that Brazil was among the top five countries for LEED certifications,
so there is definitely a market opportunity for these companies. It also helps
that financing is available for construction of buildings designed to LEED
specifications. Brazil is rushing to get
ready for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

One of the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) key
efforts is to strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. industry while promoting
trade and investment to ensure that every American who wants a job can find
one. This work is done at ITA’s offices and US
Export Assistance Centers (USEAC) throughout the United States. The USEAC in
Middletown, Connecticut is entirely focused on helping local companies
export and create jobs. The office only has two full time employees to meet the
needs of the over 2500 Connecticut companies they assist. Even though their
staffing levels have decreased in recent years, they are working smarter and
are providing 300% more export assistance than 4 years ago.

One
of the smarter ways the USEAC is meeting the increasing demands for export
programs from their 2500+ clients is to rely on the support of volunteer
interns. These interns provide a valuable service to companies and the
office, while learning new skills and a new career. Over the past 2 ½ years
many of those interns have been transitioning service members and veterans. Our
military interns are mission-focused and exceptional leaders. The Military
Internship Program benefits Connecticut exporters and gives back to those who
have sacrificed the most for our cherished freedom. The mission is to train our
veteran interns in business skills in a business comfortable environment while
supporting them in their transition to civilian careers. Upon completion
of the program, with our help, each military intern has found full time
employment. At no cost to the taxpayer, companies are getting valuable
exporting expertise and veterans are finding new careers in the private sector.
This effort fits right into President Obama’s challenged
to the private sector to hire or train 100,000 unemployed veterans or their
spouses by the end of 2013. Just as many American businesses are finding creative
ways to meet their bottom lines, so are the trade specialists in local offices
around the country who serve the needs of their clients and provide training to
our veterans who have served our country.

Guest blog post by Francisco Sánchez, Under Secretary for International Trade, International Trade Administration

From Los
Angeles to Las Vegas and Albuquerque to Walnut Creek, I spent last week
traversing the Southwestern United States talking to small businesses, textile
manufacturers, exporters and rural communities about the positive impact
exporting has on our economic stability and potential to put people back to
work.

During this
trip, I met with leaders from more than 150 businesses to discuss President
Obama’s National Export Initiative and how important it is for small- and
medium-sized businesses to expand their markets through exporting. I also
reinforced the importance of leveraging the public-private partnerships that
will foster investment, support communities and assist rural businesses to
succeed, expand and create jobs.

In New Mexico, I spoke to businesses about
the importance of the APEC economies, which have generated nearly 200 million
new jobs and 70 percent of overall global economic growth during the past
decade. APEC members increasingly represent the global economy of the 21st century.

Many of the U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEACs) are small
offices that serve a wide territory mainly made up of rural communities. The
specialists at these offices must be flexible, resourceful, and willing to
accommodate the needs of a diverse clientele. Recently, three of them spoke
with International Trade Update about
their work: Carey Hester, director of the Missoula, Montana, USEAC; Cinnamon
King, director of the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USEAC; and Heather Ranck, an
international trade specialist in the Fargo, North Dakota, USEAC.

According to Ranck, the USEACs play a greater role in rural areas.
“We become a precious resource to businesses because we can connect companies
to resources that are perceived as distant, through our amazing network.”
Hester added that “often, small rural companies are less familiar and less
trusting of trade, thus requiring more dependence on their Commercial Service
officer. We really have to sell the idea of exporting to these companies. I am
the face of the federal government to a lot of the companies out here.”

Personal contact is very important, according to Ranck. “Our work
with clients is very relationship based. You have to drive out to visit them,
learn about their company, and build trust before you begin export assistance.
A lot of our clients become our friends.”

Guest blog by Andrew Bennett, International Trade Specialist and Smart Grid Industry Analyst at Commerce's
International Trade Administration in the Office of Energy and Environmental
Industries.

With the Department of Commerce focused on winning the
future and driving the president’s vision for a growing clean energy economy, it’s
good to see early results from these efforts in the form of the green jobs of
today. Green Buildings is a key sector where we’re laying the foundations for
the green jobs of the future.

Guest blog post by Francisco Sánchez, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade

Just this week I traveled to the Port of Oakland to launch a
new and exciting partnership. The International
Trade Administration (ITA) and the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA)
have entered into a new partnership to promote exports. During an event hosted
by the Port of Oakland, Kurt Nagle, President of the AAPA and I signed a joint
memorandum of intent to collaborate to help expand the reach of our export
education efforts. This effort supports the National Export Initiative, President
Obama’s goal of doubling exports by 2014.

This was my first visit to the Port of Oakland and it is
very memorable. The Port is the primary point of exit for exports from Northern
California and its agricultural industries. Notably, it is the largest U.S.
export port for wines handling over 52 percent of all U.S. wine exports (by
value) in 2010.

On top of that, Oakland is the third-largest U.S. West Coast
port for containers. It is the United
States’ 17th-largest export port overall and Oakland is one of the few U.S.
seaports whose exports exceed their imports; nearly fifty-five percent of
Oakland’s total cargo tonnage is exports.

U.S. seaports are a critical conduit for most U.S.
merchandise trade, with more than $455 billion in exports flowing through
America’s sea ports in 2010.